international students group photo

Come be a part of our international student body with individuals hailing from all over the world!

The Salus at Drexel Difference: What Makes the University Special? 

Interdisciplinary Approach in a Graduate/Professional Heath Science Environment
  • Commitment to interprofessional education
  • Mirrors today’s integrated health systems

Integrated Curriculum
  • Provides a bridge between the basic/clinical sciences and their application to patient problems.
  • Allows students to spend less time in traditional classroom and laboratory settings, and more time experiencing independent, case-based, and small group activities, increasing critical thinking skills.

Increased Clinical Training
  • Hands on approach to learning
  • Externships and rotations

The Student Experience
  • Connect students with a vast network of alumni
  • Interact with a diverse cohort of students from around the world
Admissions Requirements

If you are an individual who has earned a former degree outside of the United States or English-speaking Canada and you are applying to any of our programs on GradCAS or the other application services, you will be required to submit additional application materials that include the following: 

1) Course-by-course (or document-by-document for Audiology programs only) foreign credential evaluation from any National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) recognized agency confirming that all of an applicant’s post-secondary studies are at least equivalent to the minimum required degree in a related field. A foreign credential evaluation is used to transcribe one’s grades and degree into American standards. Obtaining this evaluation is important in order to identify a candidate’s eligibility to apply.

Examples of agencies we’ve worked with include:

Note: OptomCAS will only accept evaluations from WES or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). OTCAS will only accept evaluations from WES. All other centralized application services we use will accept evaluations from all NACES accredited agencies.

An official credential evaluation (not a copy) must be sent from the evaluation service directly to: Office of Admissions, Salus at Drexel University, 8360 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027.

Applicants also have the option to submit their evaluation directly to GradCAS.  If you choose this option, please view GradCAS foreign transcripts instructions for more details.

TOEFL iBT Test graphic2) Official results from the TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS or Duolingo examination are required of all non-native English speakers. One of these approved exams must be taken within two years prior to the start date of the entering class to which an applicant seeks admission. Score requirements will vary depending on the program and will be listed on each programmatic webpage.

  • If submitting TOEFL scores, we recommend that they be sent to GradCAS, but you can also have them sent directly to the institution:
    • If submitting IELTS scores, you can have the scores sent to GradCAS or Salus at Drexel University directly.
    • If submitting Duolingo scores, please have them sent via Duolingo to Salus at Drexel University.
    • While we recommend that applicants submit and hold at least the recommended minimum scores for TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS or Duolingo, exceptions will be considered for foreign applicants who meet one of the following criteria*:
      • successfully completed a degree or diploma held from an accredited, post-secondary institution where the coursework was entirely in English, and provide evidence that it was conducted in English; or
      • successfully completed, and provide evidence of, an approved English language learner’s program

*Note: All exemption materials and other appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and subject to the admission committee’s final discretion. Should any exceptions not be accepted toward the English language requirement, the Office of Admissions will inform the applicant of an alternative to fulfill it.

For questions regarding the admissions requirements for any of our programs, please email us at admissions@salus.edu.

Financial Questions

Please contact the registrar's office for specific financial requirements related to the issue of an I-20 from Salus at Drexel University. For information about cost of attendance, please review the Tuition & Scholarships page. Please note that the following international programs do not have internal funding pools for scholarships:

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedicine
  • Master of Science in Clinical Optometry
  • Advanced Placement Doctor of Optometry
  • Master of Science in Clinical Audiology
  • Doctor of Audiology Online Bridge 

In addition, students who possess an I-20 are not eligible to apply through FAFSA for Federal Financial Aid. Please visit the International Student Aid page for more information.

Visa Information

International students who do not possess US citizenship or permanent resident status will require an I-20 and/or F-1 visa to study at Salus. Citizens of Canada and Bermuda do not require an F-1 Visa to travel to the U.S. Only a valid I-20 from Salus at Drexel University and proof of payment of the SEVIS 901 fees is required to travel to and study in the U.S. Please visit Travel.State.Gov for more information.

We invite you to review our F-1 student webinar to learn more about the visa application process. 

Your designated school official team:

  • Shannon M. Boss, Registrar
  • James M. Caldwell, OD, EdD, Dean of Student Affairs
  • Allison Levitt, Assistant Registrar/Data Systems Specialist

Any questions can be directed to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@salus.edu.
Off-Campus Resources
We encourage our international students to engage with the local community during their free time. Here are some helpful resources for how to do that: 

  • International House Philadelphia - a great organization to get involved with other international students from other institutions in the Philadelphia area
  • Campus Philly - an organization for college students in Philadelphia that promotes local events and discounts